The dark clouds overhead abruptly scattered, and sunlight shone over everything. Yi Chen stood where he was, his face radiant with delight, and sighed softly. "Fallen One? Not a bad title. Still, this is what makes things interesting."
He walked slowly forward. Not a single living creature remained within a hundred zhang of him-not even an insect, let alone a wild beast. With every step Yi Chen took, the nearby soil collapsed inward, yet the surrounding trees remained tall and sturdy.
Yi Chen narrowed his eyes and muttered, "No wonder those rats don't dare live here. This land actually contains such powerful energy. This simply defies science."
Yi Chen frowned. "There's actually some kind of fallen phenomenon on the Douluo Continent... could it be related to that black aura Tang Chen had before? It feels very similar!"
Suddenly, an exceedingly faint wisp of black aura drifted rapidly toward him from afar. Yi Chen sneered. "You think running away will let you escape the palm of my hand? Get back here!"
He seized the wisp of black aura, and in a flash, Yi Chen vanished into the horizon.
Inside an ancient, solemn palace, a man in black was pacing anxiously back and forth.
Suddenly, a dark shadow flickered. Beads of blood appeared on his neck, then gradually grew larger and redder, until they became a wound the size of an egg.
A mocking voice drifted eerily through the air. "Fallen One? Hmph... who do you think you are? You filthy creatures!"
The dark shadow flashed, and a dazzling sword light flared. A large head flew into the sky, spraying blood all over the ground.
The dark shadow rose lightly into the air, its figure flickering.
Yi Chen stood in the void, muttering to himself, "Hmm, looks like I'll have to find someone and get some answers... Fallen Ones? They seem quite formidable..."
The stars in the sky suddenly dimmed a little, then returned to normal, with only a scant few stars remaining bright throughout.
Yi Chen suddenly discovered that he had gained a strange new sense of his surroundings. He looked up at the starry sky, and a wicked smile curled his lips. "Oh, so this is my domain?"
He sped off in one direction, and the scenery around him changed dramatically in an instant. Yi Chen saw buildings rising before him, saw pedestrians thronging the streets, heard their noisy clamor, and even saw guests eating and drinking inside restaurants.
After standing dazed for a while, Yi Chen suddenly noticed a peculiar area. It was a small teahouse, and a white-bearded old gentleman sat at its entrance, engrossed in an illustrated album.
A gust of wind blew past. The old gentleman blinked his clouded eyes and looked at the sky.
Smiling, Yi Chen crossed more than a hundred zhang in a single step and stood before the old gentleman, reaching out to snatch the illustrated album from his hands.
The old gentleman shuddered, and the album slipped from his grasp.
Yi Chen caught it smoothly and flipped through a few pages, unable to help smiling wryly. "These pictures depict Fallen Ones? This place is the Demon Dragon Fortress..."
The old gentleman froze for a long time, then suddenly let out a shrill roar. "Who? Who stole my album? Who was it?"
He lunged at Yi Chen, flailing wildly, but the moment he came within ten feet of him, his entire body melted and evaporated as though it had encountered raging flames.
Yi Chen casually put away the album and looked at the terrified passersby. "Everyone, please stay safe. If you encounter any danger, remember to call loudly for help. Also, public safety in this city is truly appalling. I think I'll have to maintain order here."
With a thunderous crash, dozens of warriors in black armor sprang into the air. At the same time, a hoarse voice rang out. "Sir, we suspect you have committed grave crimes, so we need you to cooperate with our investigation."
Yi Chen's expression immediately darkened. "What did you say?"
The warriors watched Yi Chen warily, then suddenly asked, "You're not from the Demon Dragon Fortress?"
A vicious gleam appeared in the black-armored warriors' eyes. Their leader said in a low voice, "In that case, please come back with us."
Yi Chen said coldly, "Come back? Are you certain? If you've arrested the wrong person, can you bear the consequences?"
The black-clad warrior lifted his head arrogantly. "We are acting on orders. Whatever the consequences, we will bear them."
Yi Chen suddenly raised his right hand and threw a light punch. A ring of golden fist force slammed into the black-clad warrior. His body shook violently before he collapsed limply to the ground.
A thin golden thread coiled around him and slowly seeped into his body. Then a wisp of black smoke rose. Yi Chen stepped through the void as though strolling leisurely through a courtyard.
Behind Yi Chen, black smoke curled around a mass of dark red light that condensed in midair. It was none other than that Fallen One's soul. He roared furiously, "You despicable, shameless bastard... you, just kill me! Hahahaha, kill me!"
Yi Chen shrugged, pinched his soul between two fingers, and murmured, "Fallen Ones... what exactly do you do?"
Then a stream of azure light emerged from between Yi Chen's brows. With a soft hiss, the Fallen One's soul turned into a speck of spiritual light and sank into his brow.
A muffled hum rang out, shaking heaven and earth. Yi Chen abruptly opened his eyes. A brilliant gleam swept across his surroundings, then transformed into boundless pressure that enveloped the entire city.
His deep eyes were like two swirling vortices, forcing countless ordinary people to their knees.
Halos of interwoven gold and silver spread from Yi Chen's body. Fallen Ones appeared out of thin air, kneeling on the ground and reverently worshipping him.
Yi Chen let out a long howl that shattered the clouds.
Countless streams of black aura surged like waves. Endless souls of the dead wailed, wept, and groaned as they gathered above his head, then turned into a streak of black radiance and plunged into his body. A black figure streaked across the sky like a meteor and merged into Yi Chen. A layer of pitch-black mist shrouded his body, and he brimmed with an icy aura of death, like an evil ghost returned from hell, striking fear into people's hearts.
Yi Chen closed his eyes, savoring the sensation of that vast soul energy rampaging through his body. Only after a long time did he sigh. "The power of the Fallen Ones... truly extraordinary. Unfortunately, it's a little too weak..."
Arcs of electricity leaped from the surface of Yi Chen's skin. With every breath he drew, their color deepened, and his imposing aura grew stronger.
Yi Chen slowly opened his eyes. They had turned pure black, and his expression had become somewhat strange and pitying.